Mercedes' Sept. Sales Rise 7.4%

DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes Car Group division achieved a 7.4% rise in sales in September to a record 124,600 vehicles, boosted by the new C-Class sedan, it said on Thursday.

The Mercedes-Benz brand posted a 7.1% rise in sales last month, with growth in all regions. Smart brand sales increased 11.2%.

In the first nine months of the year, Mercedes Car Group had a slight increase of 0.9% in vehicle sales to 942,300, Daimler added.

C-Class sales are expected to "gain additional momentum" over the next few months through a station wagon presented last month at the Frankfurt auto show, as well as the introduction of small and fuel efficient engine variants, Daimler said.

The new Smart fortwo was also receiving "a very positive response" from customers, the company said.